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Friday, 1 October 2010

My Second #Friday Flash - Celebrity Sniper

The motorcade blurred through my sniperscope. They had beefed up security, but it wouldn't do them any good. Ever since I sniped Britney a couple of weeks ago the world had descended into a frenzy. Flood a half country and kill a few hundred thousand people you capture the world's attention for a few days. Kill an often despised celebrity and you're the talk of the whole world for eternity. Look at Lee Harvey, sixty years after the fact and still everyone knows his name

That's why I'm in this. I'm no genius, I can't invent something and be remembered forever. I wasn't born with a silver spoon up my arse. I can't buy myself fame. But fame isn't what I want. I want to be infamous. I wanna leave my mark on this world that no one can clean off.

Britney was a nerve wracking experience. Sure I had killed deer and the like before, but this was different. This was a real live human being with a family and fans who think they know her so well that they would consider her family, but if the tabloids were to be believed she was a pisspoor mother and conniving as the next drugged up starlet. It was tempting to do it at night during one of her drinking binges, but it would have had less impact that way. Besides I like a challenge. I took her out during one of her press releases. It was a marketing event to promote her latest perfume BS, which I thought was rather fitting.

She had just announced to the crowd that the rumours about her becoming a nun was untrue when my bullet went through back of her head. It had the desired effect not only was she dead, slumped on the lap of a shocked photographer, but the crowd went absolutely mental.

It was the most exhilarating moment of my life, and the best part is they have no leads on who did it. I was very paranoid for the next few days, but nothing materialized. It was tempting to go for my next target as soon as possible, but I had to wait. Give people the false sense of security that it was a once off thing.

Back to the matter at hand. This person I had no qualms about killing. Not that I had anything against him, just that I once liked his movies and his recent behavior has left a lot to be desired. There he was now surrounded by bodyguards; black shades and black suits in one hundred degree weather. Getting them out of the sun would do them a favor.

The radio strapped to my belt announced that he was ready to speak. “Mel will now take your questions.”

My finger tightened on the trigger. Just a few more seconds.

“Do you think you can ever rebuild your reputation and career?”

“Of cou....” Mel was cut short. A bullet had just blasted open his windpipe. Gurgling sounds faded away as the crowd of reporters started to scream.

The radio suddenly went dead.

I smiled and casually began to dismantle my gun. My mind already forming a plan for my next target.

Killing celebrities is a natural outgrowth from the public's unhealthy obsession with them. Have you read Eudora Welty's "Where Is That Voice Coming From?" Goes very deep into an assassin's perspective. This reminded me of it.

One possible typo - second sentence of second paragraph, might want a period or comma after "genius."

Thanks for the visit John :). I just found the audio version of it here: http://www.newyorker.com/online/2009/03/16/090316on_audio_oates going to give it a listen a little later. Will let you know what I think.